Indiana State needed a change
after another disappointing season that ended at the bottom of the conference.
And when you want to be like Creighton, you hire a Creighton assistant coach.
Coach Kevin McKenna will try his luck leading the Sycamores this year, but
expecting too much of an increase in the win column right away is unrealistic.
However, the team has some young talent to build around and should be a force in
the Missouri Valley Conference next year.

Who’s Out:

The big loss is forward Trent
Wurtz. The 6-8 forward averaged 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds during his senior
campaign, but he is replaceable thanks to some emerging talent behind him on the
depth chart. The loss of guards Russell Trudeau and Adam Lottino will cause
little problem during the 2007-2008 season.

Who’s In:

The Sycamores can go eight
deep without any of the newcomers stepping foot on the court. Developing them
for the future will be the top priority, but there is some room for a couple of
the newcomers to make an impact as freshmen. Point guard Lamar Lee will be
groomed for the starting role in 2008-2009 and is a physical player who should
fit right in with the Sycamores. Shooting guards Aaron Carter and Jordan Printy
both have some talent in front of them, but will be quality shooters off the
bench. Not only can Carter knock down the long ball with consistency, he is also
a great rebounder for his size. Forward Isiah Martin is not simply a 6-8
bruiser. The Chicago product can also step outside and do some major damage. His
best days are still ahead of him and Martin should develop into a consistent
scorer before his collegiate career is through.

Who to Watch:

Gabriel Moore is the star of
the Sycamores. The senior point guard led the team in scoring, assists, steals
and free throw shooting. Moore can hit the outside shot, but it is his
aggressiveness that makes him so dangerous. He will get to the basket and either
find the open man or take an easy basket himself. The worst case scenario is
getting to the charity stripe where Moore shot 80.5 percent on a team high 4.3
attempts per game. A couple of talented sophomores will be on the wings. Marico
Stinson and Cole Holmstrom have almost identical numbers across the board.
Holmstrom, at 5-10, spends more time on the perimeter, but Stinson is the more
efficient shooter from everywhere on the floor.

Final Projection:

Jay Tunnell and Adam Arnold
developed into an effective frontcourt. The junior duo combined for 15.0 points
and 11.6 boards last year. At 6-6 and 6-8, neither is intimidating on the
defensive end, but bigger things are expected from the frontcourt duo now that
they are upperclassmen. Mick Yelovich and Todd McCoy round out the depth chart
in the paint. Yelovich, who only averaged 7.8 minutes in 24 contests last year,
has the best size on the team and getting some production out of the 6-10 senior
will add some much needed size off the bench. The MVC is down, but not far
enough down for Indiana State to find the top. The potential is there for a top
five finish in the conference, but building momentum for the future will be the
most important thing for Coach McKenna.

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About Joel Welser

ColumnistCollege Preview Editor

Contactjwelser@collegehoops.net

Background

"Joel Welser does a tremendous job covering college basketball. He gives his readers knowledgeable and insightful information on college hoops." -Ernie Zeigler, Head Basketball Coach, Central Michigan University "Joel Welser writes clean, knowledgeable copy that always hits deadline." -Greg Eno, former editor-in-chief, Motor City Sports Magazine Growing up in Michigan, Joel Welser inherited a love for Big Ten sports. After defying all family traditions and not going to Michigan State, Joel headed out west to earn his bachelor degree from California State University, Northridge in Cinema Television Arts, specializing in screenwriting. For reasons still unknown, after his stint in Hollywood, Joel headed back to Michigan where he remains to this day complaining about the cold. Joel has found a successful formula with the popular top 144 series at collegehoops.net and has also written college football and college basketball previews and articles for various websites and magazines.